Joseph H. Genz is an Associate Professor in the Department of Anthropology at the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo. His research focuses on traditional navigation, Pacific Islander knowledge systems, and the cultural and environmental impacts of colonialism and militarization in the Pacific. Genz developed his interest in anthropology during undergraduate studies at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, with formative experiences studying abroad in Germany and later serving as a U.S. Peace Corps volunteer in Samoa.